6
Got bit by a corroded pin on a D-sub connector yesterday
Was troubleshooting a comm fault on a King KX 165 and found 10 milliohms of resistance on pin 22 where the spec sheet says zero. Anyone else run into intermittent issues from corrosion that looked clean to the naked eye?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
patriciam222d ago
Oh wow, that’s a super specific tolerance callout. So at 10 milliohms, is it more about the corrosion being a symptom of a bigger issue (like moisture ingress in the connector housing) or do you typically just clean it up and move on?
6
skylercooper3d ago
Got 10 milliohms on a D-sub pin that looked fine? That's actually pretty normal for older connectors. The spec sheet says zero because in theory the plating should be intact, but in reality those gold or tin platings get micro-fractures over time from thermal cycling and vibration. 10 milliohms is still within the operational tolerance for most avionics buses, especially on a TTL or RS-232 line where the impedance isn't that critical. The real problem is if that corrosion starts flaking off and bridging other pins, or if the contact force gets weak from the pin surface degrading. If you told me you found 100+ milliohms I'd say change the connector, but 10 milliohms is more of a "keep an eye on it" thing.
5